The Arabian Nights comes under many different titles, most a variation of ‘The Thousand and One Nights’ They are a selection of folk tales said to have been told to a king by Scheherezade to avoid being killed the morning after their wedding night. One thing to bear in mind about these tales: they are not always suitable for children. Yes, you will find Aladdin here, as well as Ali Baba and Sinbad, but these aren’t the pantomime stories. There is murder in the Arabian Nights, as well as heavy drinking and even a bit of drug-taking. In fact, most ‘vices’ are there to some degree.
Sir Richard Burton’s translation of the Arabian Nights is a rich retelling of traditional Arabic folklore. Sometimes his language can be a bit strange and archaic, but that helps to highlight the ‘otherness’ of the characters in the stories. The people can come across as racist, but that’s the way they were when the stories were originally told. It does not necessarily reflect the attitudes of Sir Richard Burton, who travelled extensively in Africa and the Middle East.
When buying a copy of the Arabian Nights, whatever title it comes under, check the layout of the text. I have two different copies. Although they were translated by different people, they both have the same problem. They seem to be direct translations from Arabic with no attempt to format the translation into Western style. That means that paragraphs are long and speech doesn’t start on a new line. This can make them hard to read, no matter how good the story is. Also, it’s good to choose a version that has more than just the old favourite stories.
